The Internet contains a vast amount of copyrighted content, accessible by anyone connected to the Internet. The creative content or works of authorship posted to a website is generally the reason people decide to initially visit and return to the website. As more people visit the website displaying copyrighted content, the desire to advertise on that website increases. Typically, a search engine, or other advertising company system, is paid by advertisers to place advertisements on the websites with sustained activity; advertisements placed on those websites create revenue for the website, the search engine, and the advertisement company. Copyrighted content is often times unlawfully republished and posted onto those websites collecting revenue from the placement of advertisements. Websites unlawfully posting copyrighted contents and search engine presenting advertisements on the pages containing unlawfully posted copyrighted contents rarely compensate the original author of the copyrighted content, and share no affiliation or revenues with the author. However, advertisements including those based on the content of the copyrighted work, will be placed on the website, generating revenue only for the website and the advertisement company. Thus, the benefactors in these situations include only the website unlawfully posting the copyrighted content and the online advertising company placing the advertisements.
Thus, a need exists for an apparatus and method for authenticating authorship and monitoring and tracking presence of copyrighted content over the network, and distributing proceeds from online advertisements to include an author or owner of copyrighted content.